It was a Christmas to remember -- though some, like Sir Richard Carlisle, would probably prefer to forget it -- at stately Downton Abbey on the Season 2 finale of the eponymous British import. (Overseas, of course, this 90-minute installment aired as a standalone special, but PBS is billing it as the season finale. Either way, it's the last we'll see of the show stateside until January 2013, which seems like an eternity.)

Based on your feelings towards the original The Office, Extras and Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's dark British humor in general, you can pretty much precisely predict how you're going to feel about Warwick Davis-starring Life's Too Short on HBO. After watching the first three episodes, I'd also factor in your thoughts on Curb Your Enthusiasm, Gervais' Golden Globe shtick and how much you really liked Willow. Proceed from there.

After last week's holdover from November, Pan Am aired its season -- and likely series -- finale, "1964," on Sunday night. As the title implies, this final chapter in the saga of the crew of the Clipper Majestic took place at the end of a very eventful 1963, which culminated in the assassination of John F. Kennedy that ended the last in-continuity episode, "New Frontiers."

After his South of the Border sojourn, Kenny Effin' Powers is back stateside in Season 3 of HBO's scabrous comedy Eastbound & Down. Danny McBride's foul-mouthed, not-so-vaguely racist and all-around awful alter ego is currently calling Myrtle Beach, South Carolina home and pitching for the minor league team, the Mermen. He's apparently got some of his old heat back as well, and is so high on his newfound success that he's already prewritten the third installment of his so-called Life Saga, describing how he got back to the Majors... even though he hasn't actually gotten back to the Majors yet.

I can't tell if this is tasteful or tasteless. Either way, I guess E! is going to hit the ratings jackpot.

Because sometimes the mothering is left out of Dance Moms.

I've been thoroughly enjoying 30 Rock this season. Sure, it hasn't been perfect, but it's definitely regained its place in my heart as one of the best sitcoms on TV. And in last night's "The Tuxedo Begins" -- for a brief moment -- dare I say that it was... Community good. [Dun dun dunnnn!]

If I had it my way, every single episode of Parks and Recreation would be wonderful, and we could spend Friday mornings going over funny lines and cracking up at all of the crazy shenanigans witnessed in Pawnee -- that's what happens most of the time, and what I expected to happen with the return of Louis C.K. as Officer Dave. Like most people who go on the Internet, I love basically everything about C.K. (and can vouch that Live at the Beacon Theater is well-worth the $5), but Dave just didn't do it for me, nor did "Dave Returns" as an episode.

Scripted television is currently filled with many evil, greedy and downright incompetent politicians. In the spirit of President's Day (and, of course, our real-life election year), we take a look at the legislators for whom we have the least amount of respect, if not downright hatred. Some of them are villains that we're supposed to despise, while others are just plain annoying. We demand a recall of all of them.

Tale as old as time... an ex-Smallville star books a new gig.